


Lost in the Darkness

by Kerry_0506



Category: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Genre: Abduction, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-19
Updated: 2012-01-21
Packaged: 2017-10-29 19:04:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/323127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerry_0506/pseuds/Kerry_0506
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on a mission in Germany, two of Ethan's fellow agents disappear. Now, he and his remaining team member find themselves thrust into a twisted game where they must search for their friends, unaware that they only have time to save one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this one is only a short chapter, but I hope it intrigues you enough :)
> 
> Hope it’s enjoyable and nope, I still don’t own them :( I hope the title isn’t too corny or weird, titles are the main thing I struggle with when writing stories… LOL

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

“How much further until we reach the-”

“Not much further.” Benji was cut off by Brandt’s snapped response and looked to the floor sheepishly. The four agents were wandering through dark caves underneath a castle in Germany, ready to make an extraction on a wealthy businessman who was known for his weapons dealing – he had caught the IMF’s eye recently when he popped up in their system having become involved in some rather risky deals. It was a simple job, really, considering what the team had been through in the past, but they still needed to be prepared. Leon Fischer was known to be a violent man, his security were top notch. If he caught wind of the extraction, they would be in big trouble. So they just had to be extra quiet; which was why Benji’s repeated “Are we there yet?” was beginning to get on Brandt’s last nerve. The technician gave a sigh from the back of the group, causing Brandt to roll his eyes at Ethan, who stood next to him. Jane, who was standing behind the pair, turned to Benji and gave him a sympathetic smile. “What happened to the ‘being extra quiet’, Benji?” Brandt whispered.

“I know, I know.” Benji responded. “It’s just, it feels like we’ve been walking for hours.” He kicked a small rock as they walked and gave another small sigh. He fell behind slightly as they walked, but as he prepared to catch up with them, a cloth covered his mouth and he was forced to breathe in the overpowering chemicals as he was silently pulled backwards into the darkness. The others continued their way through the cave, not realising they were now down to three.

After a while, Brandt noticed that Benji had been quiet for more than three minutes. That was something of a new record.

“Hey, Benji. You lose your voice back there or something?” he smiled. When the tech didn’t respond, he turned around and his brow furrowed at the empty space behind Jane. “Uh, guys?” the others followed his gaze and mirrored his confused expression.

“What the…” Jane didn’t understand.

“Benj, if you’re trying to pull some prank on us you might as well give it up now.” Brandt spoke a little louder than he had before, but maintained a quiet approach to not draw attention. He began to make his way back the way they had walked, closely followed by Ethan and Jane.

“Benji?” Ethan glanced around in search of their friend. “This isn’t funny.” He reached around his jeans and pulled out his gun, Brandt doing the same. Even if they didn’t need them, it might still give Benji enough of a fright to show him that pulling pranks like this on a mission was not a good idea. They continued their search for the tech, but he was nowhere to be found. This was not looking good. “Ok, this is what we d-” Ethan cut off his words as he noticed that only Brandt now stood with him. “Where’s Jane?”

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	2. Chapter 2

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Jane’s senses returned to her and she felt a throbbing in her head. She remembered looking for Benji when suddenly something hit the back of her skull. She slowly was able to tell that she was standing up with her hands behind bound behind her back and she could feel something around her neck. Her heart began to race when she realised that it was a piece of rope.

Glancing up to the roof, she saw that the rope was attached to one of the beams above her head and ran down to where it was wrapped loosely around her throat. It was a noose.

She then looked down to where she was standing. Below her feet was a large clear block. Staring at it for a few moments, she noticed that every now and then, her feet would slip a little. She was standing on a block of ice.

 _Shit. ___

“Hello there, agent.” She looked around as best she could to find the owner of the voice; when she saw him, the evil smirk on his face sent chills down her spine.

“Who are you?” Jane tried to remain calm and show no trace of fear, but she knew she wasn’t doing a very good job.

“That is not of your concern.” The man responded with a German accent. Could Fischer have caught on and sent his guards after them?

“Well, considering you’ve grabbed me and put me in this… situation… I think it is of my concern.” The man laughed at Jane’s statement.

“And considering the _situation _, as you put it, that you are currently in, I don’t think you really have the authority to be making such demands.” He had a point. She sighed as he went on. “I really hope your little friend isn’t being as… irritating as you are.”__

 _Little friend? _Jane tried to understand what he meant when it suddenly hit her. Benji had gone missing just before she was attacked.__

“Where is he?”

The man glanced up at her. “That, my dear, is another thing that is not filed under things you need to know.” He began to make his way towards the door.

“You won’t win. My friends will find me.” Jane threatened, struggling to stay still on the slippery surface below her.

“That, I am counting on.” With that, he turned to a dial by the door and turned it. “Time to turn up the heat.” He smirked as he opened the door. “Let the games begin.”

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

As Benji began to stir, he was hit with a wave of nausea that far outdid any hangover he experienced at university. He felt like he was floating and swaying, resulting in his head spinning like a computer fan on speed and his stomach to twist and turn. After calming his body down and managing his nausea, he finally was able to analyse his predicament. His hands were tied behind his back and his feet were bound much the same way. What threw him off the most, however, was when he opened his eyes and saw that the world was completely upside down. Not in the figurative way, like his mother used to say about his bedroom, the room he was in was _literally _the wrong way around. Blinking a few times to make sure he wasn’t imagining it, he realised that he was hanging upside down. Looking down (or was it up?) at his feet, he saw that they were tied to a rather heavy looking piece of metal, which was in turn attached to a piece of rope that ran across the room and the wall. Squinting, Benji saw that below the rope, a few feet down, was a flame. He began to understand just how bad his situation was, and his feeling of dread was only intensified when he looked at the floor beneath his head to find that it wasn’t ground, but water.__

This was definitely not good.

Where were his team? Had they been caught too? Or was it just him?

He suddenly heard footsteps – he wasn’t sure which direction they were coming from but each thud echoed around the room and caused Benji’s breathing to go haywire.

“Welcome back, agent. I was beginning to worry I’d used a bit too much chloroform on you there.” So this was the man who had grabbed him earlier. But he wasn’t alone – there were two of them. “Don’t bother asking who I am.” It was like the man had read Benji’s mind. “As my colleague here already explained to your friend, it is none of your business.”

“My friend?” Benji almost whispered, knowing that he could aggravate his nausea again.

“Yes. Your friend.” The second man spoke up now. “She was asking about you, too.”

 _Crap… They’ve got Jane too… ___

“What do you want with us?” he asked, trying to minimise the swaying as he hung from the ceiling.

“Oh, now that’s one she didn’t ask.” The second man spoke again. “But I’m afraid we can’t tell you.” He smirked before leaving the room, the other man pressing a button on the way out. Once the door had shut, Benji tried to figure out what the button had done. When he saw the flame move upwards slightly, his nausea came rushing back and he closed his eyes.

 _So not good. ___

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case I didn’t really make it clear, when the man left the room Jane was in, he turned the heating up so that the ice will melt, much like when they left Benji’s room they started the flame moving.
> 
> I altered the summary slightly as the story has taken on a slightly different turn to what I had initially planned but I hope it’s still enjoyable all the same.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ethan and Brandt stood in their spots looking between each other and the empty space that once held their friends.

“What the hell is going on, Ethan?” Brandt rubbed his hands over his eyes and then through his hair, not knowing what they were going to do.

“My guess is Fischer knows we’re here…”

“And he’s kidnapped Benji and Jane so that we can’t go on with the mission?”

“Yeah.” Ethan’s teeth clenched together at the thought. They had all been briefed on the nature of Fischer and his men and they knew to a certain extent what they were capable of; the thought of Benji and Jane being held by them made his stomach turn. Both agents were capable of taking care of themselves; however these men were trained in areas that far out-scaled what was taught by IMF.

“We need to get moving then.” Brandt spoke up, checking his gun. “If these guys do have Benji and Jane, and they really are capable of God-knows-what, then we need to find them ASAP.” Ethan nodded and the pair began to walk. Both were on their guard, just in case the kidnappers decided two hostage agents weren’t enough. They tried to listen out for any sound; anything that would give Fischer’s guards away. Making their way around a corner, they came face to face with a door. It was about two meters high and a meter wide, a thick metal bar running across the middle of it. It reminded Brandt of the door from the computer array, causing him to remember the moments leading up to his jump.

 _“Why am I Pluto, anyway, it’s not even a planet anymore.” Benji whined. ___

 _“Well, I hear Uranus is still available.” Brandt smirked at his witty comeback, only to be shot down moments later by Benji’s immature sarcasm. ___

 _“Ha ha! That’s funny, cos you said ‘anus’.” ___

Brandt shook the memory and the pair made their way towards the door when suddenly, the analyst heard something behind him. Before he could turn, he felt an arm wrap around his torso and a gun press up against his cheek. The barrel ground against his molars causing him to wince in pain as he watched Ethan pivot on his heel and train the gun on the man behind Will.

“Easy there, tough guy.” The man holding Brandt spoke up, his accent emphasized by the eerie silence. “I just come baring a message.”

“Let him go.” Ethan demanded, not letting his aim move.

“Well considering he’s the only reason you’ve not shot me, I don’t think I will just yet.” He turned his head slightly so he whispered into Brandt’s ear. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m not gonna hurt you. You’ve got a game to play anyway.” His words sent chills down Will’s spine.

“So what’s this message?” Ethan asked, his eyes almost glowing in the dimly lit room.

“Ah, yes. Well, you see, as I’m sure you’re already aware, we have two of your little friends. Now we could have killed them straight away, but we thought, might as well credit ourselves with at least some compassion.” He gave a small laugh before continuing. “Your two friends only have a short amount of time left and it’s up to you to get to them before they, you know. What is that phrase you American’s use? Bite the dust?” Brandt felt his stomach wriggle a bit at the sentence.

“So what do we have to do?” Ethan went along with the man’s sick conversation however kept the gun pointed forwards.

“I’m glad you asked. The two of you are to enter through that door; you are then to search for your missing team members with the permitted time frame.”

“Time frame?” Brandt asked, relieved that the grip had loosened slightly. “What time frame?”

“Oh you’ll find out.” Although Brandt couldn’t see the man, his sly grin was depicted through the way he spoke. Deep down, Brandt had a feeling he knew what said time frame was. The man had mentioned only moments ago that Benji and Jane only had a “short amount of time left”.

“And what happens if we don’t?” Ethan’s voice brought Brandt out of his trance.

“I’m sorry?” the man asked.

“If we don’t find them within the time frame. What then?”

“Well, you’ll just have to wait and see.” He gave a laugh, the momentary distraction allowing Brandt the opportunity to reach up and grab the hand holding the gun. He twisted the man’s wrist and proceeded to flip him over his shoulder, grabbing the weapon in the process. Once the man was on the ground, both agents aimed their guns at him, causing him to raise his hands slightly in defeat.

“Where are they?” Ethan asked, throwing Brandt a quick glance to see if he was ok. When the analyst nodded, he turned back to the man. “Where the hell are our friends?”

“I can’t tell you. But what I can say is, they may be together. They may not be.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Brandt stared down at the man, trying to calm the fury that was building within him. He was rewarded with an evil laugh as the man refused to respond and he was unable to stop himself as he swung out his leg, his boot connecting painfully with the man’s face. He felt his nose crunch underneath his foot and the man fell still. Ethan looked at him but didn’t say anything; he didn’t need to. Brandt knew the facial expression meant that he had wanted to do the same thing. Now that the man was unconscious, the pair walked towards the door with a mixture of fear and anticipation. Brandt grabbed the metal bar and gave it a twist, hearing the click of the locks before pulling the door towards them. He clenched his teeth as he pulled, the weight of the thick metal tugging at his muscles in a painful manner. Once it was completely open, the two agents made their way inside, treading carefully with each step as they went; not wanting to trigger any traps along the way. However something inside their minds made them think that there wouldn’t be any, as this was a game and they were the players. Benji and Jane’s lives were the prize. As they stepped into the room, they saw that to their left, right and in front of them were just walls.  
“What the fuck?” Brandt asked, not to anyone in particular, just out of pure confusion. He brought his hand up to the wall on their left, feeling its solid weight push back against his hand. It wouldn’t budge. Ethan did the same with the door on their right. Brandt then lifted his left hand up to the wall opposite the door. He gave it a small push and it moved forward. With another, more forceful push it opened like a door. In the deep recess of his mind, he had an idea of what was going on here but he didn’t want to believe it. As he approached the next small room, he found it to be much the same as the last one. Each wall rose just over two meters from the ground and looked identical to the adjoining three. He turned to Ethan.

“Ethan, gimme a boost.” He beckoned his friend over and watched as he linked his two hands together to create a stirrup. Once Ethan’s grip was secure, Brandt placed his foot into the hands and gripped the top of the wall as he felt himself hoisted up. When he reached the top, he looked over the wall and felt his stomach lift up into his chest. His instinct had been correct. “Oh my God…”

“What is it?” Ethan’s voice came from down below.

“We’re in a maze.”

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	4. Chapter 4

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

“What?” Ethan’s response put into words how Brandt felt – utterly confused. “What is a maze even doing down here?”

“I have no clue…” Brandt climbed down from Ethan’s hands and brushed his own off. “Maybe when Fischer isn’t dealing in dangerous weaponry, he plays a little ‘Crystal Maze’?” Brandt closed his eyes and thought back on all the documents that they had read prior to the mission; he was the analyst for a good reason. His memory was his strong point and if he could remember anything that would explain this twisted turn of events then he would try his damned hardest.

 _Leon Fischer, age 51, brown hair, grey-blue eyes. ___

No he needed more than that…

 _Known for dealing in weapons from various sources. ___

Still not giving him anything new…

 _Once faced charges for the abduction and murder of a young woman however was cleared when no real evidence could be found and the body was never recovered. ___

That was it.

“There was something in Fischer’s file. He was almost charged with kidnapping and murder but they couldn’t pin it on him somehow.”

“I remember. Louisa Menzies. She was the 20 year old daughter of another weapons dealer. They suspected he did it as a way to get the opposition to back off. Maybe that’s what he’s doing now – using Benji and Jane as a way to warn us off.”

“Well, I’m not backing away that easy.” Brandt holstered his gun and began looking for the next door. “We’re gonna play this stupid game, we’re gonna save Benji and Jane and then we’re gonna bring Fischer down.” Ethan nodded and followed his friend as they began their trek through the maze.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Jane had lost track of time, all she knew was that it was getting way too hot in that room for her liking. She could feel the ice underneath her getting more and more slippy and she was slowly losing the ability to remain standing. Sweat was beginning to run down her forehead and it mixed with the tears that had fallen down her cheeks before falling completely. She knew that every drop of fluid that dropped from her face to the ice would add to the worsening of her situation, however having her hands tied behind her back made it impossible for her to prevent it happening.

She wondered where Benji was. Had they put him in the same sort of scenario? The image of her friend being in this mess made her heart ache and she wished that she could just run to help him. Had they told him that he wasn’t the only one they had? Or did he not know she had also been caught? Part of her hoped that he didn’t know, just so she would be reassured that he wouldn’t be panicking that extra bit. Benji was the least experienced in the field. She didn’t for once think that herself, Brandt or Ethan could handle being in a situation like this better, but he was still a technician. He dealt with computers not people; him lacking that extra knowledge of humans and how they tick could hinder his ability to cope.

Jane could only hope that he was doing ok.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Benji had spent the last however long concentrating on his breathing. He suffered from a bit of anxiety when he was younger and he didn’t want it returning. He glanced over at the flame and saw that it was getting closer and closer to the rope. He looked away, knowing that seeing the proximity between the flame and the rope would only cause him more panic. His eyes rested on the water beneath him. Also not a good idea. He settled with closing his eyes instead.

He really hoped that Jane was ok. Was she also hanging upside down like him? Or was she facing a whole different threat? He felt sick at the thought. At least they didn’t have Ethan or Brandt – well, he hoped they didn’t. They had only implied they had captured him and Jane, so hopefully the other two were on their way. He looked back over at the flame and saw that it had once again got closer to the rope.

If the others didn’t get here soon he would have to try and escape himself.

He couldn’t imagine that ending all too well…

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh and for anyone wondering, ‘Crystal Maze’ was a show they used to have on TV where contestants had to do various tasks in order to get a crystal. If they didn’t complete the task in time, the contestant became locked in the room.


	5. Chapter 5

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ethan and Brandt continued to wander through the maze, finding empty room after empty room. Lifting his foot, Will kicked open another door, only to find a dark, dismal broom closet behind it.

“How many more rooms can there be?” he asked, exasperated as they moved through the next opening of the maze.

“This must have been created for this purpose.” Ethan mused, causing Brandt to turn back to him. “Why else would you have a maze with this many extra rooms built underneath your house?”

“I’m not sure I wanna find out.” Brandt replied, searching for the next wall that opened. With a push, it swung open and they made their way through. He was about to push another one, when Ethan grabbed his arm. “What-”

“Shhh.” The older agent brought a finger to his lips. “Listen.” Brandt followed the instruction and slowly, a ticking noise became apparent.

“Bomb?” he whispered, eyes darting around for the source. Ethan shook his head.

“Doubt it.” The hushed reply came. “Why put us in this game only to blow us to smithereens before we reach the end.” Brandt understood and listened closer. The ticking sounded less like a bomb and more like the ticking of a clock. Looking around the small space, Brandt noticed a small box in the corner.

“Ethan.” He pointed to the box and both men crouched next to it, Brandt’s hands shaking as he reached for the item. He gently pulled it towards them and with slow, smooth motions he lifted the lid. Inside, as he had presumed, was a small clock.

“Hang on.” Ethan reaching his hand down slowly and lifted the small device out, turning it over so they could see the face. The timer was counting down.

“Five minutes…” Brandt spoke with a monotonous voice as he realised what it meant. “Ethan, we’ve gotta move.” He rushed to his feet and began to run, not really caring if his teammate was with him or not. He kicked open several more doors to reveal empty rooms along the way and finally reached one in a corner. Ethan caught up with him and they both made their way to the door, kicking it open in one swift motion.

“Oh God no!” Ethan yelled as he ran to their friend.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	6. Chapter 6

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

 _**Moments earlier _ ****_**_

Benji watched as the flame got closer and closer to the rope and he knew he had to do something or he would be swimming with the fishes. Literally.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his mind and he had an idea. He knew it wasn’t a great one, but it was that or drown. Using all of his might, he began to propel his body forwards and then backwards. Glancing back at the flame as he did, he saw that it was beginning to burn through the rope holding him up, so he swung faster.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

The momentum made him feel even more sick, but he had to do it. If he could get himself swinging with enough force, when the rope snapped, he might – just might – be able to reach the side as he fell. He continued to build up his movements as the rope gave way slightly, causing his heart to jump into his throat. He continued his actions, the word ‘Please’ repeating itself in his mind as he did.

Then, as expected, the rope gave.

Benji was swinging backwards as it did, his back arched and his face looking directly down below him to reveal what he had dreaded.

His swinging was just too short.

Feeling his face connect painfully with the edge of the ground, he yelled in pain and fear as he tumbled downwards. Semi-conscious and bleeding from his forehead, he could do nothing to prevent the weight of the metal pulling him under. He barely had time to take in air before he disappeared beneath the surface of the cold water.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Jane felt the ice disappearing from under her feet and she slipped again, the rope tightening around her neck briefly before she regained some footing. She was now balanced on the toes of her boots as she struggled to stay upright, her neck arched in an attempt to stop the rope from gripping her neck. Her feet slipped once more and this time she found herself unable to find the ice; was this it?

She glanced at the door, praying that someone would save her.

The feeling of the rope clinging to her neck like a python attempting to crush its prey was horrifying. Wriggling about, she knew she was probably making things worse for herself but she just needed to get free. She needed to breathe.

She tried to cry for help by it came out, quite ironically, as a strangled whisper as she began to feel herself losing her strength. Her eyes began to close and she gave one last look at the door before darkness claimed her.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ethan saw Jane hanging from the ceiling and had to hold back a scream as he ran to her. Grabbing her legs, he lifted her as much as he could, trying to loosen the ropes hold on her neck.

“Brandt! Cut her down!” he yelled to his friend as he watched Will pull a pocket knife from his jacket and run towards them. Dragging a chair from the corner of the room, he promptly stood on it and began cutting.

“Come on, Jane. Hold on!” he yelled to her as he frantically forced the blade through the noose. After what seemed like a lifetime, he saw Ethan’s knees buckle as Jane fell and he jumped off the chair to her aid. He watched Ethan feel for a pulse and sighed when the man nodded with relief.

“Jane, can you hear me?” Ethan began to talk to her while Brandt looked around anxiously, hoping for sight of Benji. He heard a small groan from Jane as she opened her eyes and began to cough. “That’s it, Jane.”

“Ben… Benji…” she wheezed. Ethan looked up at Brandt, who understood immediately, and watched as the analyst shot out of the room in an instant. Once Brandt was gone, Ethan pulled Jane into a tight hug and rubbed his hand up and down her back, reassuring her she was safe.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	7. Chapter 7

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Brandt ran back into the maze and made his way to every single door he saw along the way. Benji had to be behind one of them. His breathing was fast and shallow as he searched for his friend, telling himself “He’s behind the next door.” even though he feared that was not true.

Maybe this was the part of the game that the man had forgotten to mention. Maybe that was the whole idea – they could only save one of their friends. Brandt refused to believe that; he was going to save Benji regardless of this stupid game. The team had been through so much together, they had faced death countless times and come out of it relatively unscathed. He was not going to let them be torn apart by a ridiculous game.

As he kicked one door open, he noticed that it was empty and was about to turn away but something caught his eye. He wasn’t sure whether to check it out or keep looking, but curiosity got the best of him and he entered the room.

This room was different to any of the others he’d seen before. It was a bit bigger and there was a square cut out of the floor – about 5x5 metres in size – that was filled with water. Something else that had caught his attention was the gun that sat on the chair next to the water. To the untrained eye, it was just a gun, however he looked closer and recognised it to be the one Benji had been given as a gift from Ethan on his last birthday.

He was close.

But this couldn’t be the right room, seeing as Benji was nowhere to be seen. As he turned to leave, he noticed on the edge of the homemade pool there was a smudge of something.

Something red.

Something that looked like blood.

Approaching the edge of the water, he looked into the darkness that was visible and saw something white deep down. Benji had been wearing a white t-shirt when he went missing.

 _Oh for Christ’s sake… _Brandt threw his gun to the side and without even thinking, he dived to the bottom of the water. As he swam through the icy liquid, he searched for Benji, hoping that he hadn’t imagined it.__

Moments later, however, he saw him.

He was half sitting-half lying on the bottom of the pool, eyes closed, hands tied behind his back with a nasty line running across his forehead that was turning the water around him red. He swam over to Benji’s motionless form, and grabbed his bound arms. When he began to pull his friend towards the surface, however, he realised that something was stopping them. Moving to Benji’s feet, he saw the large piece of metal that was tied to them, causing him to panic. He rushed back up to the top to get air before diving back under. Pulling out his pocket knife again, he swam to Benji’s feet and began to cut his friend loose.

He couldn’t help the groan of pain escape his lips as he felt the blade slice across his hand, but he kept going. He couldn’t be sure how long Benji had been under the water for, but he knew it had been too long regardless. When he finally felt the ropes give way, he grabbed Benji’s arms again and pulled him up, this time he was able to reach the surface.

With a push that forced him under the water, Brandt heaved Benji’s unconscious form up and over the edge of the pool so that he was safe on the ground before pulling himself from the water. As he scrambled onto the side, he turned to Benji and began checking for any vitals. He couldn’t be sure if he could feel a pulse or not, causing his heart to race even faster than it already was.

“Come on, Benji.” He shouted, beginning to press down on his friend’s chest. “Come on, don’t you leave me, you son of a bitch. Come on!” he pushed down repeatedly, glancing up at Benji’s unresponsive face with hope that he would open his eyes. After a few more compressions, he shifted on his knees and brought his face to his friend’s, providing him with air. Brandt could imagine the immature comments the tech would make if he was conscious, but he didn’t care. He was going to do anything he could to bring Benji back. After two breaths, he moved back to the compressions, a tear beginning to roll down his face.

“Come on, Benji, Goddamnit!” he completed the second round of compressions and gave Benji two more breaths. “For God’s sake, wake up!” instead of gently pressing down on his friend’s chest, this time he began to use a bit more force, bringing his fist down in a desperate attempt to start the technician’s heart. Hit after hit, breath after breath, he started to fear that he had lost him. Another tear fell as he continued to pound Benji’s chest like a punching bag. Brandt knew he would probably cause him some bruising, but if it gave the slightest chance of bringing him back he’d take it. With another hit he yelled again.

“Come on!” it was more of a despairing cry than a yell, but this time, his prayer was answered. He heard his friend begin to cough and rolled him onto his side as he dispelled water from his body, smiling weakly with relief. As Benji coughed out the last drops of water, he began to wheeze, taking in the much needed air as Brandt cut the ropes from his wrists and lifted him up slightly so that he was lying in his lap. “Welcome back.” Brandt grabbed Benji’s hand as it was offered to him in thanks. “You gave me quite a scare there, man.” Benji nodded, still trying to get his breath back.

“I think I can out-scare you, though.” a sudden voice startled both agents and they looked up to see one of Fischer’s guards standing in front of them. He was pointing a gun in their direction.

“Just give it up.” Brandt yelled. “We played your stupid game and we won. No need to be a sore loser.”

“We never lose.” He began to get closer to the pair, preparing the gun to fire. “That’s just not the way we play here. Someone has to die.”

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	8. Chapter 8

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Brandt and Benji watched as the man prepared to shoot and the analyst made a split second decision. Dropping Benji – he made a mental note to apologise for that later – he was on his feet in a second and rushed the man, sending them both tumbling backwards. The pair rolled on the floor, grappling for the weapon, knees hit chests, elbows connected with faces; both men ignored potential injury and continued their desperate attempts to grab the gun. Brandt felt the throbbing in his head as the guard’s fist introduced itself to his eye socket; he knew he would later have a black eye to show for it. His nose was fast producing masses of blood and he could feel the familiar copper taste in his mouth. Trying to turn the situation around, he used the latter damage to his advantage, spitting out some of the blood. It projected itself onto the man’s face, causing a temporary distraction which Brandt used to knock the gun from his reach. It skidded across the floor in Benji’s direction and he hoped that the technician would get the idea as the man rose to his feet and began his assault again; a foot came into contact with his stomach over and over, causing him to feel ill and his world to spin.

Meanwhile, Benji lay helplessly watching Brandt being hurt and wished he could do something. He tried to get to his feet, wanting to rush to his friend’s aid, but he was still too weak and found himself collapsing back in a heap. He saw Brandt shove the gun in his direction and knew what he had to do. Unable to watch the beating that the man was now giving the analyst, Benji began to slide his body across the floor, trying his best to remain unnoticed as he travelled towards the weapon. He could hear Brandt’s pain-filled cries with each blow and sped up as best he could; he needed to help him. His hand reached out and was only inches from the gun when suddenly a foot came stomping down on it, causing him to scream in agony. The next thing he knew, the entirety of the man’s body weight was placed on his hand as the other leg came up and delivered a sharp kick to his jaw.

Brandt had realised that the man was no longer making his attack and dreaded the worst, scrambling to his feet as he heard Benji’s yell. Once he was up, he turned to face the man, who was now holding Benji up in front of him, the gun pressed into the technician’s side.

“Don’t move.” The guard said, trying to prove his point by jamming the gun harder into Benji’s body, causing him to give a small whimper at the discomfort. Brandt held up his hands as he checked over his friend from a distance, noticing the small trail of blood travelling from his lips to his chin. “Nice try, my friend. Close, but no cigar.” He gave a snigger, his hot breath running across Benji’s neck causing him to shiver with fear.

“Hmm…” the man continued to speak as Brandt and Benji traded nervous glances. “I think I’ll kill you first.” He pointed the gun at Brandt before turning his head slightly to speak into Benji’s ear. “Seeing as I get the feeling you won’t be as feisty as your friend here.” He laughed again before turning back to Brandt. “On your knees.”

With a despairing look at Benji, Brandt did as he was told, dropping to his knees before letting his head fall forward. He didn’t want to watch the man fire at him, nor did he want to see Benji’s face in the moments leading up to their deaths. He had failed to protect the younger man and now he was paying for it. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for his impending death.

Brandt heard a gunshot but felt nothing. He did have some experience with gunshot wounds, but this was completely different. He felt nothing. Was this what death felt like? But why was he still alive? He could tell he was still kneeling on the ground in that room. Then the thought hit him; had the guard changed his mind and killed Benji first? He shot his head up, not really wanting to look, and saw his friend falling forward. However the reason he was dropping to the ground was the guard’s lifeless body dragging him down. Brandt stayed put for a moment, unable to move due to a mixture of shock and the realisation of just how close both he and Benji had come to death. After a few moments, he saw Ethan and Jane entering the room, making their way across to the pair as Ethan holstered his gun. Jane approached him; she looked a lot better than when he had last seen her.

“Are you ok?” she asked him, letting her eyes roam across his face at his injuries. As she did so, Brandt saw the bruising that was beginning to form around her neck; a thin line that travelled from one side to the other, displaying to the world what she had just been through. He nodded, bringing his hand to her shoulder as she helped him to his feet. He immediately looked across to Benji, who was being lifted to his feet by Ethan. The technician smiled at Brandt, but it quickly turned into a wince when Ethan lifted the younger man’s arm over his shoulders. Brandt knew the discomfort was probably caused by the bruising he received during the pounding he had given Benji’s chest in the frantic attempts to revive him. As the group began to exit the room, Benji turned to Brandt with a slightly bewildered look on his face.

“Hey, did you _drop _me earlier?”__

Brandt rolled his eyes and the pair began to laugh, leaving Jane and Ethan to glance at each other confusion.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that’s it. I know I didn’t cover what would happen with Fischer after the events of the story. But I guess that’s how I’ll leave it – do they bring him down or does he get away? Entirely up to you. But the main thing is – our favourite gang are all safe xD   
> Much love x


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